Demons of Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase Page B

You’re plenty powerful.”
Bea stifled a soft chuckle and cleared her throat. “I have lived a long life. Lailah isn’t the first angel to appear on my doorstep.”
“ I’m not?” Lailah perched forward on the loveseat.
Bea gave her assistant a small smile. “Like I said, I’ve got a lot of years behind me.”
Kane and Pyper were staring at Bea, no doubt just as curious as Lailah and I were about Bea’s past. But now wasn’t the time for memory lane.
“ Okay. So I attract trouble. I guess I’d better get used to putting out fires.” I sucked in a breath and steeled myself. “I need your help.”
“ I know.” Bea eyed the delicate watch on her wrist and stood. “Ian should be ready for us now.”
“ Ian?” Pyper glanced around, nervous energy coming off her in microbursts. “He’s here?”
Ian was Bea’s nephew, a semi-professional ghost hunter and Pyper’s current love interest. Last I’d heard, they’d been on a date or two. Since Dan had disappeared, I hadn’t exactly kept up with all the details. Judging by the anxious crinkle of Pyper’s eyes, maybe things weren’t going as well as I’d thought.
Bea plucked her elegant, cream-colored leather purse from a side table and shook her head. “No. He’s pulling some strings to get the crowds cleared from the circle.”
I leaned forward in my chair. “Why?”
Bea pulled her front door open. “It’s where we’re going to test Philip’s theory.”
Kane moved to stand behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders. “You mean, to see if Jade’s tainted with black magic?”
“ Exactly.” Bea took a few steps and called over her shoulder. “Hurry, now. We’ve only got a short window of time.”
***
     
I don’t even remember leaving Bea’s house or climbing in Kane’s car. Ten minutes later, I was sitting in a parking lot surrounded by yellow caution tape stamped with production studios #13.
“ Someone’s filming a movie?” I asked as Kane grabbed my hand and pulled me from the car.
“ That’s what it looks like.”
Somehow we’d been admitted past the metal barriers holding back a small crowd. They held protest signs that read Jesus hates magic and chanted, “Banish the witches, remove the evil. Save the people of New Orleans.”
I rolled my eyes. Goodwin had certainly reached his target audience this morning.
Three production trucks were lined up together, blocking the path leading to the circle. A couple of workers with headphones milled around with clipboards.
One of them, a woman wearing a Saints ball cap, scanned the parking lot and then waved us toward an RV sitting off to the side. “Hurry,” she said. “You’ve got less than an hour.”
“ Wait!” Kat came running up behind us. “Ian called and said to meet here.”
Damn Ian. I’d hoped to keep Kat out of whatever we were going to be doing today. Her love for Dan made her too volatile. Given the chance, Kat wouldn’t hesitate to put herself on the front lines. Hell, it’s what I planned to do, and she knew it. No way to make her go home now.
Her running shoes barely made a sound on the cracked pavement as she caught up to us. She’d dressed the part at least. Jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and sensible shoes. I, on the other hand, hadn’t taken the time to plan decent footwear. The platform wedges I’d slipped my feet into had been right next to my bed. I hoped I wouldn’t have to do any running. My ankles would never survive.
Out of breath and red-faced, Kat fell in step with me as we followed Pyper and Kane. “That’s twice you haven’t called me,” she huffed out.
“ Sorry.” Guilt formed a small ball in my stomach. “After we saw the newscast this morning, everything happened so fast. I didn’t have any idea we’d end up here. Besides, Bea is only going to confirm or deny Philip’s claim.”
“ Only.” She stopped and turned serious eyes on me. “You think I don’t know how scary this is for you? Don’t even try to push me away like you